1. Technical Field
This invention relates to snow removal apparatuses and, more particularly, to a roof snow removal apparatus for assisting a user to remove accumulated snow from a roof.
2. Prior Art
Snow has accumulated on roofs for generations. The build-up of snow on roofs can cause serious problems if melting occurs, creating ice dams causing water to back up under shingles and leak through the roof into the house or other building. Also, if the weight of the snow becomes too heavy for the roof to support, caving in of the roof from the weight of snow and water accumulated on the roof can result in dumping snow and water into the house or like building. Thus, not only must the roof itself be repaired, but anything in the interior of the house or like building that acquired water damage must be replaced or repaired. Additionally, this is often a problem which can occur annually. The common practice is to remove the snow, with a shovel, while standing on the roof, a dangerous and a very treacherous task.
One solution to snow build-up is to remove snow off the roofs of houses and like buildings. A common method of snow removal is shoveling which creates a risk of slipping and falling and places undue strain on the back of the person shoveling. Additionally, shovels can only remove a certain amount of snow at a time causing the person shoveling to be subjected to the cold for a longer time than is necessary. Also, shoveling can damage the roof from the shovel being forcefully pushed into the shingles in attempts to remove the bottom layer of snow from the roof.
Other methods such as raking the snow off roofs can cause the snow to fall on top of the person trying to remove the snow and limits the ability to reach the highest or middle part of the roof if the handle is too short. Unless the person using prior rakes climbed onto the roof, which makes accidents more likely, the amount of snow that would get removed would be minimal. Additionally, rakes could pull shingles from the roof or otherwise damage them when the rake is dragged across them.
Accordingly, a need remains for a roof snow removal apparatus in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a snow removal apparatus that is easy and convenient to use, lightweight and compact in design, and improves the user's safety. Home owners and owners of small businesses find this apparatus quite helpful, in that it permits an individual to remove roof snow without having to climb onto the roof. In this manner, the snow no longer poses a danger to an individual walking under the snow or the one removing the snow from the roof of a residence or building.